Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

AGOSTINO MARELLI, OF MILAN, ITALY, ASSIGTNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIG-HT TO SANTE MARELLI, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 139,323, dated May 27, 1873; application filed February 27, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AGOSTINO MARELLI, of Milan, Italy, armorer, have invented a new and Improved Breech-Loadin g War-Gun; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification.

This invention refers to a breech-loading fire-arm for rapid firing.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the firearm as it appears immediately after firing. Fig. 2 is also a longitudinal section, showing the mechanism of the gun when being loaded, cocked, and ready to be fired. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views.

A is the breech, whereinto is lodged the metallic central or annular percussioncartridge; and B O D E F G H R, the box or stationary case inclosing the various pieces of the mechanism. This stationary part extends along the sides, and is secured to the butt end by screws. The movable parts of the hammer mechanism consist of the guard M N O P, the hammer Q, the breech-block R, the spring S, and the trigger T. The hammer and trigger turn on two pivots, a b, in the side walls of a chamber formed in the guard, while the breech-block connects with the sides thereof by means of a hook, c, engaging some corresponding loop in the breech block. The spring is wound spirally round a small pivot, d. As the guard turns over the pivot e fixed to the case the whole movable part of the mechanism turns on the samepivot. The spiral spring S is provided with two projections, one of which presses against a small cylinder or knob, f, fixed to an appendage of the hammer, while the other, passing through a slit in pivot d, presses on the trigger.

The operator places his finger on the lever P, which is brought down to the position shown in Fig. 2, when the breech-block R, by means of the projection c, is brought down so as to open the breech of the barrel, thus permitting the extraction of the exploded cartridge and the insertion of a new one. The

guard cocks the gun, and consequently, after a fresh cartridge is introduced and the guard replaced, the trigger may be pulled, when the firing of the gun takes place. By the former of these movements the breech-block is placed again behind the barrel-breech, and by the latter the hammer, being freed from the trigger-stop, is thrown forward by the spring and strikes the fulminate in the cartridge. The exploded cartridge is extracted by the down motion of the guard through two angular levers, i k I, placed in grooves of the box sides, and capable of turning on pivot k. The 1onger arm of each lever rests against the cartridge-flange, while the other is struck by the breech-block in its downward motion; thus the descent of the guard which carries the breech-block causes a rotating motion of the levers, and consequently the removal from the barrel of the exploded cartridge.

In order to ascertain at any time from a mere outside inspection whether the arm contains the cartridge and the hammer is cocked, I use two indicative pointers, n.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The hammer Q provided with projection r, and pivoted to the guard-lever a, in combi nation with the stationary appendage g, the parts being so arranged that the dropping of the guard-lever will cook the hammer, substantially as described.

2. The hammer Q pivoted to the guard lever, and having a conical nose fitting a cor= respondingly-shaped opening in the recessed sliding breech-block R, the breech-block, the tooth c of the guard-lever, the stationary appendage g, and extractor i k l, the parts be ing constructed and combined substantially in the manner described, so that the dropping of the guard-lever will simultaneously cock 4. The channel L in the butt end oi the the hammer, open the breech, and extract the fire-arm to lead and collect the shells of the cartridge-shell. exhausted cartridges, as described and shown.

3. The combination of the hammer Q, detent of trigger T, spiral spring S, and trigger AGOSTINO MARELLI.

guard-lever having a chamber formed in the upper portion of the same, the parts being Witnesses: constructed and arranged substantially as de- EMILE DUHAN, scribed. ADOLPHE GUIoN. 

